Mother's day present
by Jeem
Summary: Oneshot. Lin is about 6/7 years old; They have to make a drawing for Mother's day, but Lin refuses. Her mom, Toph, is blind. So what's the use in making a drawing her mommy can't see anyway?


Just a cute one-shot about Lin and Toph Bei Fong, it just happened all of a sudden, but I'm really happy with the outcome. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review n_n

Enjoy! c:

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"Okay class, grab your coloring pencils! I will give everyone a sheet of paper, because you are going to make a drawing for your mothers. As you all may know, Mother's day is coming up, so make it a nice drawing!" Lin's teacher said and spread out sheets of paper on their group-tables. Her classmates all started to draw immediately when they received their sheet, but Lin didn't even grab her coloring pencils. When the teacher reached her group's table she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Lin, where are your coloring pencils?" the teacher asked with a sigh and gave the others their sheets of paper.  
"Where they always are," Lin answered smugly.  
"I believe I told you to grab them, so please do that, Linora." Lin hated being called that, only her mom called her Linora and she didn't want anyone else to call her other than Lin. She didn't move an inch.  
"No."  
"Linora Bei Fong, do as I asked you to," the teacher urged, not in the mood for Lin's rebelling behavior again.  
"No, why should I?"  
"Oh, I see. You don't want to make your mother a drawing for Mother's day?"  
"Why would I? It is useless—"  
"It is not, besides, it's not acceptable for a student to disobey their teacher," the teacher said, about to give Lin her second warning for this semester.  
"My mother is _blind!_ Tell me what use it is for me to draw my mommy a drawing she _can't see!_" Lin said in a loud voice, tears welling up in her eyes from both anger and sadness. Her little fists were trembling right now, adrenaline rushing through her small body. Her teacher looked at her, startled, not saying a single word. The teacher was taken aback by Lin's outburst, slightly ashamed of the fact she forgot about Lin's mother's blindness.  
"Linora, come with me," the teacher said and walked out of the classroom, Lin was following her this time, unlike other times.

"Linora, I want to apologize," the teacher said to the little girl when they were outside of the classroom, on the empty hallway. "I have to admit that I forgot for a moment about your mother's blindness, I am sorry." Lin looked up at her teacher, seeing that her teacher _indeed_ was being sorry and meant what she said. Lin shrugged her tiny shoulders and bowed her head, trying to prevent the tears from escaping the corners of her eyes. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and she looked up again, sniffing now, failing to hold the tears back. "It's okay to cry, Linora. We'll just stay here for a little while so you can calm down and catch your breath, okay? I have an idea," the teacher spoke again and Lin looked at her teacher, not understanding what her teacher meant.  
"What kind of idea?" the little girl asked, wiping away the tears off of her face. The teacher smiled kindly, squatting down to the same level as Lin.  
"You are going to make your mother something as well, but something different than the others; something your mother _can_ see." Lin's eyes started to glow as a smile appeared on the little girl's face.  
"You mean something that she can _feel_, so she can '_see_' in her way?" The teacher nodded, chuckling.  
"Yes, that is _exactly_ what I mean, Linora."  
"Oh, and could you please call me 'Lin'? I don't like being called Linora, only mommy calls me that," Lin asked shyly, bowing her head down again. She expected her teacher to deny and keep calling her 'Linora' instead.  
"If you prefer being called 'Lin', than I will try to do that, is that alright?" Lin smiled and nodded heavily with her head. "But then you have to go back to class right away and get started," the teacher continued, not given the chance to say any more because Lin was already rushing back into the classroom.

"Great job, Lin! It looks really good, I'm sure your mother is going to love it," the teacher said to Lin, who smiled from ear to ear in response. She couldn't wait to give her mommy the present for Mother's day, she was hoping that her teacher was right and her mom _would _love the present she made for her.  
"Miss Yuiro, I'm finished!" Lin cheered enthusiastically and her teacher came up to her to look at the artwork of the little Lin.  
"It looks amazing, Lin. We'll put it on the bookshelf so nothing can happen to it and you can take it home after school, okay?" Lin nodded and cleaned up her spot on the group table and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. But when she went to return to her classroom she saw her classmates carrying their lunchboxes towards the lunch-room, it was lunch-break already. Lin ran to her classroom and grabbed her lunch-box to follow her classmates.  
"See you after lunch, Lin," the teacher said and waved at Lin who was already rushing out again and hastily waved back at her teacher.

"Okay class, clean up all your stuff and make sure your group table is neat and clean. Then we will all sit down to end the school week," Miss Yuiro said and everyone got up and moving. Lin had already put away her pens and pencils; she now laid her exercise- and notebook on top of the pile of the others. She then washed her hands and went back to her table, her spot already neatly cleaned up. She sat down and waited for the others to sit back down as well, more impatient than usually. She couldn't wait to get home to give her mommy her present; she was really hoping her mommy would be proud of her, just like she was proud of the present she had made.

The teacher struggled to hold back a chuckle, but she couldn't hold back a smile at the sight of Lin being ready to sprint off, out of the classroom to head home and show her mother the present she had made.  
"Okay class, I think we had a good week; you have all worked very hard and deserve a nice weekend! So go grab your coats and jackets and enjoy your school-free days, I will see you again next Monday!" Miss Yuiro said and waved at her students who were already walking out of the classroom, wishing others a good weekend on their way outside. Lin put on her jacket and walked back into the classroom, her teacher was already waiting for her.  
"Here you go Lin, I put it in a bag for you. That's easier while walking home, let me know what your mother's response was when you give her the present, okay? I will see you Monday, have a nice weekend Lin," her teacher told her and handed the bag to Lin. Lin took the bag, carefully and bowed.  
"Thank you, Miss Yuiro. I will, have a nice weekend too!" Lin answered and waved while she walked outside. She walked faster than she usually did, trying to get home as fast as possible.

"Mommy! I'm back from school!" Lin shouted as she kicked open their front-door, her mom didn't like fumbling with a key; they used earthbending to open the door. It had been one of the first moves Lin learned of Earthbending, so she could 'open' the door herself.  
"I'm outside, Linora!" Toph answered and Lin put down the bag with the present for her mom to take off her jacket, then she walked through the house to the garden with the present in her hands. Toph was practicing again, a boulder coated in metal was moving with enormous speed through the air, making its way to the ground.  
"Mommy, don't let it fall!" Lin pleaded, afraid it'd ruin the present she made for her mommy. Toph looked over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised, but she did as her daughter asked; she stopped the boulder from falling down and gently put it back down. She then put her one foot down and bent a bench-like column from the earth beside her, she sat down and patted on the spot next to her; telling Lin to sit down with her.

"So, how was your day at school?" Toph asked her daughter with a smile, she felt that Lin was being nervous about something.  
"It was good, we've all made drawings for our mommies because it's Mothers day!" Lin said with a grin, Toph's smile faded a little, but she forced it back on.  
"Oh, is that so?"  
"Yes, but not me," Lin said, she saw that her mommy was forcing a smile just for her, Lin couldn't wait to see the look on her mommy's face when she gave her the present.  
"Oh, so your mommy doesn't deserve a nice drawing from her only daughter? That's nice," Toph responded, acting pained.  
"No," Lin said, and Toph chuckled under her breath. Her daughter looked a lot like her, the same humor, attitude, Lin was quite something. Toph loved her daughter more than anything- or anyone in the whole world.

Lin carefully placed the present on her lap and gently took her mommy's hands in her own. Toph looked up, a bit surprised, not sure what she had to expect. Lin made Toph's hand palms face upward, so she could put the present in her mommy's hands.  
"Don't peek." Lin said and Toph laughed, her daughter _really _looked a lot like her, she couldn't be any happier with a daughter like Lin.  
"Oh, alright. I won't peek," Toph said and chuckled. Lin took the present in her hands and carefully placed it in her mommy's hands.

Toph felt weight being placed in the palms of her hands, it felt quite heavy. Definitely not a drawing, that was for sure. She made sure the present Lin gave her lay steadily in her left palm while she put her right palm on top of it, trying to '_see_' what Lin had made and given her. It was a rock, but on top there was something engraved in it. Toph couldn't read, but she knew a few words, she could read when it was written in earth. The fingers of her right hand traced the engraved letters and tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't show her emotions very often, but she just couldn't help it, she couldn't hold back the tears.  
"I … L-o-v-e … y-o-u … M-o-m-m-y-!" But when Toph wanted to put her present down to hug her daughter, Lin gently took her right hand again and let her fingers trail downward a bit. Toph couldn't make out this letter; she didn't know this one… But then Toph figured out that it _wasn't_ a letter, it was a symbol, the symbol of a heart was shaped under the words. Tears now flowed over Toph's cheeks and chin, filled with pride, gratefulness and immense love.  
"I love you too, Linora! I love you more than anything- or anyone in this world," Toph whispered between sobs. Lin couldn't hold back tears either, the look on her mommy's face was worth gold to her and she would _never_ forget it. She let her get hugged by her mommy, arms firmly around her torso and her mommy´s face partly buried in her neck.

"So, do you like your present, mommy?" Linora asked when Toph had taken Lin on her lap, brushing her daughter's hair with her fingers. Toph smiled and nodded.  
"I _love _it, Linora. This is the _best_ present I've _ever _had! Except for you, because you will always be and stay my absolute number one present," Toph answered and planted a kiss on her daughter's hair.  
"I love you, mommy. You are the _best_ mommy in the whole world!"  
"Well, Linora, I'm your _only_ mommy in the whole world," Toph said with a grin and then they both laughed.  
"But you're still the best mommy in the world! And you are the greatest mommy in the world! And the most awesome mommy in the world!" Lin said truthfully and nestled against Toph's chest. Toph melted inside and put her arms around her daughter again, pressing Lin closer to her and planting kisses over Lin's whole face.  
"And you are the most amazing daughter in the whole world, Linora. I'm the luckiest mother with such a beautiful, strong and amazing daughter as you."  
"And I am the luckiest daughter in the world! Happy Mother's day, mommy."


End file.
